Top Soil Having Broken Glass from a Reputable Supplier

raiseyoursteaks on 04/03/2024 - 11:20
Last edited 04/03/2024 - 13:09 by 1 other user

For context, I ordered a few cubic meters of "premium top soil" from a reputable supplier near my home. Spent the weekend spreading these soil on top of an established lawn (I do this yearly).

After hours of work and raking the soil, I found a few small pieces of glass, enough to seriously cut you if walking barefoot. Then I found a few more about an inch long.

Now it feels like my lawn is literally a landmine and with young kids in the house it's even worst. I have tried to pick all the glass I found and spoke to supplier over the weekend and we will follow up today.

What are my options now? What's the best way to fix this in addition to me being cautious? How can the supplier fix this for me? Clearly giving a full refund will not solve my problem. Has anyone has had this issue before and what options did you take?

Home & Garden Gardening

Comments

  • JIMB0 on 04/03/2024 - 11:33
    +11

    Best to check it for asbestos as well.

    • raiseyoursteaks on 04/03/2024 - 11:49

      This was supposed to be their premium mix…. And yet

    • jv on 04/03/2024 - 11:52
      +1

      check it for asbestos

      You only get that with the 'Super Premium' mix…

      • LFO on 05/03/2024 - 10:47

        Nope.

        It is the 'Platinum Super Premium' the one glass-free.

        Pay more to get more …

        :-|

    • try2bhelpful on 04/03/2024 - 12:18
      +9

      The bushfire retardant version.

  • CrypticM on 04/03/2024 - 11:34
    +2

    did you talk to supplier? He may got bad batch. He may be able stop delivering this product to next customer if you inform now.

    and he should offer refund to start with.

    • raiseyoursteaks on 04/03/2024 - 11:48
      +2

      Spoke to their worker over the weekend, I found out late evening. They immediately went into their storage area and found more glass…so damage control on their end. But my end has been littered with glass.

      • jv on 04/03/2024 - 11:54
        -1

        But my end has been littered with glass.

        Tell them to come and remove it.

        • DoctorCalculon on 04/03/2024 - 21:44
          +3

          Nice one, JV. What a genius idea!
          Should they use a large glass magnet?

          • jv on 04/03/2024 - 22:18
            +4

            @DoctorCalculon: That's up to them…

            They need to rectify the damage though.

    • jv on 04/03/2024 - 11:53
      -6

      He may be able stop delivering this product to next customer if you inform now.

      How does that help the OP ?

  • Mr BoMBAStiG on 04/03/2024 - 12:12
    +1

    I had crap in some top dressing sand dropped at my place in the past. Contacted them, manager came to my place, agreed that it was unacceptable. Full refund but couldn't do anything about my lawn. Wasn't glass though, that is way worse.
    You could look into some sort of industrial vacuum and get a quote then ask the supplier to pay. Not sure if the large vacuum trucks that can handle stones of 5-10cm would be able to go over grass without ripping it up though.

  • try2bhelpful on 04/03/2024 - 12:20
    +4

    What the hell is going on with these topsoil/mulch people? Isn’t anyone doing quality control? Apparently it isn’t unusual for these people to add building rubble to the mix.

    • carwashhair on 04/03/2024 - 12:33
      +11

      add building rubble to the mix.

      the seafood extender of the mulch world

      • try2bhelpful on 04/03/2024 - 12:36

        Yikes, I didn’t now that even existed.

    • ihbh on 04/03/2024 - 13:35
      -1

      They process is the green bins are picked up by big trucks, also green waste dumped by landscape gardeners, etc. These are combined in huge piles/windrows to decompose.

      Do you expect them to run all of that green waste through some machine to check or hire a teenager to eyeball it for quality?

      Some will still get through if some idiot puts it in there in the first place. If you expect quality screens, expect higher price.

    • Seraphin7 on 04/03/2024 - 17:00
      +1

      It's an issue that is only bubbling to the surface through this asbestos situation.

      The reality of it is that many garden products (mulch, topsoil, compost, etc.) are of "variable quality" even from "reputable suppliers".

      The issue starts with the way these products are made. Effectively all the green waste put out for curbside collection or that otherwise ends up in the "resource management centres" (we used to call them tips) is what makes them up (these things aren't manufactured from "virgin materials" as some might assume).

      As a result, whatever anyone throws in a green bin, chucks in a skip, or dumps at a tip is likely going to end up in these products, regardless of any level of grading and sorting that goes on at a level that is economic. As a result, relatively harmless products like sticks, bark, stones, etc. will end up in the products along with far more dangerous things that have been dumped including glass and asbestos. While there are protocols in place around this, there will always be a level of "failure".

      And that's all before you get to various business practices that range from maybe adding a little "harmless filler" to those who are quite happy for their product to include "whatever" has come from the tip.

      It's a real concern when you start understanding the way the whole process works.

  • bobbified on 04/03/2024 - 12:39
    +3

    Now it feels like my lawn is literally a landmine

    Potentially good if a barefoot burglar rocks up.. lol

  • snappy1234 on 04/03/2024 - 13:58

    Hehe feels similar when I visit my sister ( beachside suburb Sydney) council there has footpath asphalt with glass thru it.

    [ not sharp tho)

    • GoldenDragon888 on 04/03/2024 - 15:05
      +1

      Glass is added to asphalt to make it hard wearing. Same with the road.

      • snappy1234 on 04/03/2024 - 15:36

        It is fantastic to walk on barefoot to beach.
        ( just off-putting with flecks of glass)

      • Euphemistic on 04/03/2024 - 16:09

        Its not added to 'make it hard wearing'.the rocks/sand in it they would use in place of the glass are just as hard.

        They use the glass as a recycled product rather than digging it up out of the ground. It's crushed down to be a sand replacement and has riles on what size the pieces can be.

  • Puglife on 04/03/2024 - 14:38
    +2

    This feels like a Home Alone sequel in the making…

  • brad1-8tsi on 04/03/2024 - 16:04

    They should come and remove it. Get down on their knees and walk the yard picking out all the glass

  • drogba on 05/03/2024 - 01:14

    Same thing happened to me with my lawn top dressing last year.

    I just tried to rake most of it out, and then complained to supplier. They agreed it was not acceptable so refunded delivery fee and offered to send a fresh batch.

    I didnt need any more topdress so just took the delivery fee refund and thankfully have had any grass come up on the lawn since

  • 2esc on 05/03/2024 - 10:40

    A lot of top soil is actually from residential green waste bins. It is mulched up then composted down. People put all sorts of things as they walk past green waste bons on the street.

  • jonkvh on 05/03/2024 - 10:47

    The glass will very quickly rise to the top as you water it. If it gets really bad, just hire a leaf vacuum, have done it before on oval's.

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